Remote Control System and Method for Controlling Television

ABSTRACT

A remote control system and method comprising a television and a light pointing apparatus adapted, in a first embodiment, to transmit a first narrow beam having a first frequency corresponding to visible light, which is used to give an indication of where the pointer is pointed, and a second expanded beam surrounding the first beam and comprising a second frequency corresponding to infrared light. In a second embodiment, the pointer transmits a single frequency modulated light beam. In operation, the beam of light is shown on the television screen to activate an on screen menu based user interface via a photo sensor, microprocessor and onscreen display controller. Screen menu items appear on the screen positioned around the periphery of the screen. The user then moves the beam of light on the screen to the periphery of the screen to optically engage one of the plurality of photo conductors, which triggers an appropriate menu sequence or the performance of a television function such as, e.g., channel up.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/359,978, which application is incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to remote control televisions,and more particularly to a remote control system and method thatfacilitates control of a television and peripheral devices connected tothe television.

BACKGROUND

As processor power in televisions have increased, so to has thecomplexity of the remote control units used to control the televisionand peripheral devices connected to the television. From an initialdevice having channel up and down buttons, volume up and down buttonsand a numeric keypad, the conventional remote control unit has growninto a complicated behemoth with multiple function keys including, e.g.,but not limited to, channel up and down, volume up and down, numerickeypad, device, device menu, TV menu, guide, info, PIP/POP, cursor,select, last, list, record, stop, pause, fastforward, rewind, source,input, and the like. As a result, operation of the remote control andthe control of the television is often fraught with difficulty andfrustration.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method thatis easy to use and that facilitates the control of a television andperipheral devices connected to the television.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to an improved system and method thatfacilitates control of a television and peripheral devices connected tothe television. In a preferred embodiment, a system comprises atelevision and an apparatus adapted to transmit a narrow beam of lightsuch as a laser pointer, light pen, small flash light, and the like. Thetelevision preferably includes an enclosure housing an image engineoptically coupled to a screen, a photo sensor, a plurality of photoconductors mounted in a screen frame or behind the periphery of thescreen, a microprocessor or CPU coupled to the photo sensor and theplurality of photo conductors and including non-volatile memory and menusoftware running thereon, and an onscreen display controller coupled tothe microprocessor and image engine.

In operation, the beam of light is shown on the television screen toactivate an on screen menu via the photo sensor, microprocessor andonscreen display controller. The light beam activates the photo sensorbehind the screen to trigger the internal logic of the television.Screen menu items appear on the screen positioned around the peripheryof the screen. The user then moves the beam of light on the screen tothe screen frame or to the periphery of the screen to optically engageone of the plurality of photo conductors, which triggers an appropriatemenu sequence or the performance of a television function such as, e.g.,channel up.

In a first embodiment, the beam of light transmitted from the remotecontrol unit includes a first beam comprising a narrow concentrated beamof light having a first frequency corresponding to visible light, whichis used to give an indication of where the remote is pointed, and asecond expanded beam surrounding the first beam and comprising a secondfrequency corresponding to infrared light. The infrared light is used toactivate the photo conductors.

In a second embodiment, the remote control unit or light pointertransmits a single frequency modulated light beam.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom consideration of the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is side view of a television and remote control unit of apreferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a screen of the television with an onscreenmenu displayed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a control system in accordance with thepreferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Each of the additional features and teachings disclosed below can beutilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachingsto provide an improved system and method that facilitates control of thetelevision and peripheral devices connected thereto. Representativeexamples of the present invention, which examples utilize many of theseadditional features and teachings both separately and in combination,will now be described in further detail with reference to the attacheddrawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a personof skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects ofthe present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. Therefore, combinations of features and steps disclosed inthe following detail description may not be necessary to practice theinvention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely toparticularly describe representative examples of the present teachings.

Moreover, the various features of the representative examples and thedependent claims may be combined in ways that are not specifically andexplicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodimentsof the present teachings. In addition, it is expressly noted that allfeatures disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended tobe disclosed separately and independently from each other for thepurpose of original disclosure, as well as for the purpose ofrestricting the claimed subject matter independent of the compositionsof the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. It is alsoexpressly noted that all value ranges or indications of groups ofentities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediateentity for the purpose of original disclosure, as well as for thepurpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.

Turning to FIGS. 1-2, a preferred embodiment is shown to preferablyinclude a system comprising a television 10 and a light pointingapparatus 22 adapted to transmit a narrow beam of light such as a laserpointer, light pen, small flash light, and the like. The television 10preferably includes an enclosure 12 housing an image engine 14 opticallycoupled to a screen 18. In the example provided, a projection television10 is shown to include a mirror 16 interposed and optically coupled tothe image engine 14 and the screen 18. Included within the television 10is a photo sensor 13 positioned directly behind the screen 18 oroptically coupled to the mirror 16 and the screen 18 at an orientationto optically sense a light beam emanating from the light pointingapparatus 22 and directed at the screen 18, preferably at a locationapproximating the center of the screen 18. As depicted, a plurality ofphoto conductors 20 are shown mounted in and spaced about a screen frame15 or behind the screen 18 spaced about the screen's periphery.

Referring to FIG. 3, the television 10 further preferably includes a CPU42, microprocessor or the like, coupled to the photo sensor 13 and theplurality of photo conductors 20. The CPU 42 preferably includesnon-volatile memory 44 and a menu software 45 stored in the memory 44and running on the CPU 42. Also preferably included is an onscreendisplay controller 48 coupled to the CPU 42 and the image engine 14.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the light pointing apparatus 22, in a firstembodiment, is preferably adapted to transmit a beam of light 24 thatincludes a first beam 28 comprising a narrow concentrated beam of lighthaving a first frequency corresponding to visible light, which is usedto give an indication of where the light pointing apparatus 22 ispointed on the screen 18. The beam of light 24 preferably includes asecond expanded beam 26 surrounding the first beam 28. The secondexpanded beam 26 preferably includes a second frequency corresponding toinfrared light. The infrared light is used to activate the photo sensor13 and photo conductors 20.

In a second embodiment, the light apparatus 22 is adapted to transmit asingle frequency modulated light beam 24. Modulation of the singlefrequency light beam 24 tends to prevent anomalous triggering of thephoto conductors 13 and 20 by ambient or screen light.

In operation, the user points the light apparatus 22 toward thetelevision 10 to show a beam of light 24 on the television screen 18,preferably at approximately the center of the screen 18, to activate anon screen menu 30 based user interface via the photo sensor 13, CPU 42and onscreen display controller 48. When the light 24 from the lightapparatus 22 shines on the screen 18, its transmits through the screen18 to the photo sensor 13 to trigger the internal logic of thetelevision 10, which, in turn, activates the on screen menu 30. Asdepicted, menu items or commands 32 preferably appear on the screen 18positioned around the periphery of the screen 18 alerting the user as towhere to point the beam 24 next. Each of the menu items or commandblocks 32 is preferably aligned with a individual photoconductor 20 andpreferably shaped to direct or point the user to the appropriate photoconductor 20.

From the initial position the beam 24 is pointed to, the user then movesthe beam of light 24 across the screen 18 and across the menu item 32 onthe screen 18 over the photo conductor 20 corresponding to the menu item32. Activation of the photo conductor 20 by the pointed light 24initiates the associated menu sequence or television function.Appropriate sequencing and activating time delays enable return of thebeam 24 to the center of the screen 18 from which another sequence ofmenus can be accessed until the user reaches a menu page the includesthe desired commands.

The particular examples set forth herein are instructional and shouldnot be interpreted as limitations on the applications to which those ofordinary skill are able to apply this device. Modifications and otheruses are available to those skilled in the art which are encompassedwithin the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of thefollowing claims.

1. A remote control system for control of a television comprising atelevision having a display screen, a plurality of photoconductorsspaced about the periphery of the display screen, and control logiccoupled to the plurality of photoconductors and programmed to display amenu based control interface about the periphery of the display screen.2. The remote control system of claim 1 further comprising a photosensor coupled to the control logic.
 3. The remote control system ofclaim 1 wherein the control logic includes an on-screen display controlunit and a microprocessor coupled to the on-screen display control unitincluding non-volatile memory and menu software stored therein andrunning on the microprocessor.
 4. The remote control system of claim 3further comprising an image engine coupled to the screen and theon-screen display control unit.
 5. The remote control system of claim 1further comprising a light pointing apparatus.
 6. The remote controlsystem of claim 5 wherein the light pointing apparatus generates anarrow first beam having a frequency corresponding to visible light andan expanded second beam surrounding the first beam and having afrequency corresponding to infrared light, wherein the photo detectorsand photo sensors are triggered by the infrared light.
 7. The remotecontrol system of claim 5 wherein the light pointing apparatus generatesa modulating light beam.
 8. The remote control system of claim 1 whereinthe plurality of photo conductors are mounted in a screen frame.
 9. Theremote control system of claim 2 wherein the photo sensor is positionedbehind the screen in a location in which it is triggered by a light beamdirected toward the center of the screen.
 10. The remote control systemof claim 5 wherein the light pointing apparatus is a laser pen.
 11. Theremote control system of claim 1 wherein a menu based control interfaceincludes a plurality of command blocks positioned about the periphery ofthe screen.
 12. The remote control system of claim 11 wherein each ofthe plurality of command blocks corresponds is associated with one ofthe plurality of photo conductors.
 13. The remote control system ofclaim 12 wherein the plurality of command blocks are shaped to direct auser to direct the beam of light toward the plurality of photoconductors.
 14. A method of controlling a television remotely comprisingthe steps of sensing a light beam directed at a screen of a televisionwith a photo sensor positioned behind the screen, and triggering controllogic to display a menu based user interface about the periphery of thescreen comprising a plurality of menu items each associated with one ofa plurality of photo conductors located about the periphery of thescreen.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps ofsensing a light beam directed at one of the plurality of photoconductors and corresponding to one of the plurality of menu items, andtriggering control logic to display an appropriate menu sequencecorresponding to the menu item or perform a television functioncorresponding to the menu item.
 16. A method of controlling a televisionremotely comprising the steps of directing a beam of light at a screenof a television, sensing the beam of light with a photo sensorpositioned behind the screen, triggering control logic within thetelevision to activate an on-screen menu based user interface, whereinthe menu based user interface includes a plurality of menu itemsdisplayed about the periphery of the screen, selecting one of theplurality of menu items by directing a beam of light at one of aplurality of photo conductors associated with the selected menu item,wherein the plurality of photo conductors are positioned about theperiphery of the screen and associated with the plurality of menu items,and sensing the beam of light with the one of the plurality of photodetectors associated with the selected menu item.
 17. The method ofclaim 16 further comprising the step of triggering control logic withinthe television to activate a menu sequence corresponding to the selectedmenu item.
 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step oftriggering control logic within the television to perform the televisionfunction associated with the selected menu item.
 19. The method of claim16 wherein the steps of directing a beam of light include directing amodulated beam of light.
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein the steps ofdirecting a beam of light include directing a first beam of light havinga frequency corresponding to visible light and a second beam of lightsurrounding the first beam of light and having a frequency correspondingto infrared light.